The invention relates to a method and a device for operating a vehicle which includes a first and a second camera.
Vehicles often include two side mirrors and one rearview mirror, by means of which a vehicle driver can obtain an overview of the surroundings of the vehicle. To this end, the vehicle driver looks into the side or rearview mirror in each case or looks over his shoulder.
US 2008/0253685 A1 discloses a method in which a plurality of images from different positions or angles are combined and linked such that, after combining and linking, a much larger panoramic image is produced.
The object underlying the invention is that of developing a method and a corresponding device for establishing an image which represents a surrounding region around a vehicle to a vehicle driver in a convenient manner.
This and other objects are achieved by a method, and corresponding device, for operating a vehicle, which includes a first and a second camera that are designed to capture an area surrounding the vehicle. The first camera has a first field of view, captures a first individual image of the first field of view, and provides first image data of the first individual image. The second camera has a second field of view, which overlaps the first field of view in an overlapping region, captures a second individual image of the second field of view, and provides second image data of the second individual image. An object correction is performed as a function of the first and second image data, including: respectively determining a distance of objects imaged in the second individual image from a predetermined reference point; respectively determining an angle of a respective object in relation to a predetermined reference axis; determining, on the basis of the determined distance and the determined angle of the respective object, whether the respective object is situated in the overlapping region and, should it be determined that the respective object is in the overlapping region, removing the respective object from the second individual image. An overall image is determined after performing the object correction, which overall image is composed as a function of the first individual image and the second individual image.
The invention is distinguished by a method and by a corresponding device for operating a vehicle. The vehicle includes a first and a second camera that are designed to capture an area surrounding the vehicle. The first camera has a first field of view. The first camera registers a first individual image of the first field of view. First image data of the first individual image are provided. The second camera has a second field of view, which overlaps the first field of view in an overlapping region. The second camera captures a second individual image of the second field of view and provides second image data of the second individual image.
An object correction is performed as a function of the first and second image data. In the object correction, a distance of objects imaged in the second individual image is determined from a predetermined reference point. By way of example, the objects are prominent objects which are imaged on the respective individual image, such as, for example, prominent objects in the foreground of the respective individual image, such as vehicles, pedestrians, lamps, houses or other prominent objects. It may not be necessary to determine the distance to the imaged sky or other non-prominent objects in the background. However, it may possibly also be necessary to determine the distance to imaged objects in the background, such as, for example, prominent clouds.
Moreover, an angle of the respective object is respectively determined in relation to a predetermined reference axis. It is determined, on the basis of the determined distance and the determined angle of the respective object, whether the respective object is situated in the overlapping region. If this was determined, the respective object is removed from the second individual image. After performing the object correction, an overall image is determined, which is composed as a function of the first individual image and the second individual image.
Since the respective objects in the overlapping region are imaged on both individual images, it is disadvantageous to join the two individual images as objects can be imaged twice on the overall image in this case. However, by virtue of the objects being removed from an individual image, the individual images can be composed to form an overall image, possibly in an optically clearer manner. As a result of this, a large area surrounding the vehicle is captured in one overall image and can, for example, be registered at a glance by a vehicle driver. Moreover, side mirrors of the vehicle can optionally be replaced by cameras, resulting in improved aerodynamics of the vehicle.
In accordance with one advantageous embodiment, the vehicle includes a first-side camera, which is arranged in a region of a first vehicle side. The vehicle moreover includes a second-side camera, which is arranged in a region of a second vehicle side. The vehicle moreover includes a rear camera, which is arranged in a tail-end region of the vehicle. The object correction is performed in terms of the first-side camera as second camera and the rear camera as first camera. Furthermore, the object correction is performed in terms of the second-side camera as second camera and the rear camera as first camera. Subsequently, the overall image is established after performing the object correction, which overall image is composed as a function of the respective individual images of the first-side camera, the rear camera and the second-side camera.
As a result, an even larger surrounding region than the surrounding region captured by two cameras is possibly provided in an overall image. By way of example, the vehicle driver thus possibly obtains even more information in relation to the surroundings at a glance.
In accordance with a further embodiment, the vehicle includes a first-side camera, which is arranged in a region of a first vehicle side. It includes a second-side camera, which is arranged in a region of a second vehicle side, and a rear camera, which is arranged in a tail-end region of the vehicle. The object correction is performed in terms of the first-side camera as first camera and the rear camera as second camera. Furthermore, the object correction is performed in terms of the second-side camera as first camera and the rear camera as second camera. After performing the object correction, the overall image, which is composed as a function of the respective individual images of the first-side camera, the rear camera and the second-side camera, is determined. As a result of this, the distances and angles of the objects only need to be determined in the individual image of the rear camera, which possibly reduces computational complexity.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the vehicle includes a first-side camera, which is arranged in a region of a first vehicle side. It includes a second-side camera, which is arranged in a region of a second vehicle side, and a rear camera, which is arranged in a tail-end region of the vehicle. The object correction is performed in terms of the first-side camera as first camera and the rear camera as second camera. Furthermore, the object correction is performed in terms of the second-side camera as second camera and the rear camera as first camera. After performing the object correction, the overall image, which is composed as a function of the respective individual images of the first-side camera, the rear camera and the second-side camera, is determined.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the vehicle includes a first-side camera, which is arranged in a region of a first vehicle side. It includes a second-side camera, which is arranged in a region of a second vehicle side, and it includes a rear camera, which is arranged in a tail-end region of the vehicle. The object correction is performed in terms of the first-side camera as second camera and the rear camera as first camera. Furthermore, the object correction is performed in terms of the second-side camera as first camera and the rear camera as second camera. After performing the object correction, the overall image, which is composed as a function of the respective individual images of the first-side camera, the rear camera and the second-side camera, is determined.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the overall image covers a field of view of at least approximately 180°. By covering such a large field of view, it may be possible to completely dispense with side and rearview mirrors. The vehicle driver can obtain an overview of the surroundings of the vehicle by virtue of looking at the overall image. It may even be possible to dispense with looking over one's shoulder.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the vehicle includes distance sensors, which are designed to detect the distance of the vehicle from object points in the surroundings of the vehicle. The distance from the respective object is determined as a function of measurement values from the distance sensors. If the vehicle already includes distance sensors, which it requires for other purposes such as, for example, a parking aid, it is easy and possibly cost-effectively possible to detect the distances from the respective object.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the distance from the respective object is determined as a function of the image data from the first and/or the second camera by use of triangulation. As a result of this, it is optionally possible to establish the distance to individual objects relatively precisely.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, at least the first and/or the second camera is designed as a stereo camera. As a result of this, it is optionally easily possible to determine the distance of the objects by triangulating the stereo camera images.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, if at least one object lies both within the overlapping image region and outside of the overlapping region, a transition region of the overall image is adapted by way of an image transform. The transition region is characteristic for the region of the overall image in which image contents of the first individual image are adjacent to image contents of the second individual image. The transition region is adapted by the image transform in such a way that respective edges, which correspond to one another, of the object lying both within the overlapping region and outside of the overlapping region merge into one another in the transition region. As a result of this, the overall image can optionally be displayed more clearly to the vehicle driver.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.